The Nealan Show
by jasmineb
Summary: Nealan of Queenscove is an ordinary knight, in the ordinary country of Tortall, but what he doesn’t know is that it’s all a lie. The cameras roll, and the millions of viewers tune in to watch the staged mishaps unwravel...
1. Fine and dandy

**A/N- Well in case you haven't read my other story, (totally non-related to this) the characters will probably be OOC or taken to their extremes, but that's how I write them.**

**Disclaimer-** The world of our beloved champions does not belong to be, nor the idea which sparked this story. (_The Truman show _for those of you who do not realise the similarities.)

I don't know whether this should be a one-shot or not, tell me if you think I should continue it. It's not very long, but just review it please. Here goes…

**The Neal Show**

**Chapter 1, Prologue:_ It's all fine and dandy _**

"_Ok he's waking up in 3…2…1…cue sunlight streaming through the window, the bell striking seven o'clock in the morning,someone knock on the door… and a bird tweeting just about…now."_

The sun streamed through the window, it was another morning. I stretched out beneath my bedsheets, and felt that I had the world at my fingertips. No I wasn't the King, nor the Queen, nor the Champion, or anything of the sort, but I was a knight. Yes, a fully fledged knight. Not many other people can say that you know, but I can.

There was a knock at the door, was it seven already? Ah, I slowly realised that I could hear the faint ding, dong, of the tower bell. Better get up and dressed soon, or I'll be late for that meeting with Alanna…. Maybe five more minutes, I'll get up then.

"_Right, fast forward the sun rising for a minute, yes that's great, make sure it looks like eight o'clock or he won't be late…yes tell Miranda, I mean Alanna, that Neal has to be late today. That will make for good viewing."_

The bell struck again, but that would mean it was…eight. O figs. Scrambling out of bed, I managed to stagger over to the cupboard, pull on a pair of breeches and a loose fitting shirt, and forgetting all about the word 'shoes' I ran out my door, or rather, _into _it. I then realised it was locked, so _opened _it first, and headed down the corridor. Although I did receive a few disapproving looks about my sockless attire, I managed to make it to the hall in one piece. Barely.

"_Remember your imrpovisation lines everyone, you're frustrated that he's angry, but you need to send him or a mission or something…you know, make him think he's been chosen for some apparent reason. I don't know, you're the actors here, you should know."_

I took a deep breathe and entered.

"You're late." That was Alanna, a fiery redhead with a temper that would knock your socks off. Thankfully, I wasn't wearing any- as had forgotten all about them today as well.

"Well I swear that only five minutes ago it was seven…I must have just dozed off again. Although that sun rose pretty quickly-"

"_Stop him, stop him now. You don't know where that train of thought could lead!"_

"- yes well it's happened to all of us before. Don't worry about it anymore…just take a seat. We need to have a chat."

This was it- I was to be chosen to go on a risk-taking, adrenaline-rushing, near-death-experience mission that will change my life forever- and I was ready for it. I would finally leave the city, once and for all.

"There has been an uprising of Scanrans on the border."

"And you need me to put them back in their places, right?"

"Not exactly…they're attacking every front we have-"

"- and you need me to gather up an army of civilians and attack with brute force?"

"Well that's not really what I had in mind…"

"Get to it then! I'm ready for the death-defying mission you have in store for me. Go on, give it your best shot- I dare you."

"Very, er, tempting I must say. Although, I was going to ask you to mind the castle here for a while, you know, make sure everything's in order for when we come back from all the blood spilling etc. I hope that's not to disappointing for you."

"_But what he doesn't know is that we've got something in store for him when he's denfecneless…"_

"Not…at..all…" I said between sobs. "Everything's …okily-dokily,…. fine and dandy… here…" I began to hyperventilate under the shock.

"You are dismissed, Sir Nealan. Don't get too upset though, you'll get your fair share of exictement here I predict…"

"When one of the cows escapes? Or someone takes a pie off a window sill? I don't get it, it's all too…well…_staged_ here, if you know what I mean."


	2. Top of the Morning

**A/N- Wow, I'm trying to update both stories in one night- go me. If you have any ideas for where this should go, just pop it in a review or an email- I check both daily.**

**Disclaimer-** The world of our beloved champions does not belong to be, nor the idea which sparked this story. (_The Truman show _for those of you who do not realise the similarities.)

Thanks to AW1, who helped with ideas for this chapter, and the Tortall descriptions are altered slightly to match the upcoming story.

**The Neal Show**

**Chapter 2:_ Top of the Morning_**

As Neal wandered down the deserted corridors that made up the lonely palace, he realised he'd never been outside the castle walls which surrounded them. The castle was engulfed by woods on all sides, with only a narrow road leading to and from the drawbridge. Inside the walls there was a small village, but still, it was very same old same old.

He passed by face after familiar face, everyone greeted him by saying, 'Well hello there, t'top of the mornin' to you' and he would reply, 'and the rest of t'day to yourself.' It had been said to him ever since he was little, it seemed to be a Tortall saying.

He climbed down the outside palace steps, enlaced with ivy.The steps were rounded down and it would become a ramp soon enough. He'd lived here all his life, he was told his parents had died by raiders, just before his seventh birthday. He had discovered their mangled bodies, but had been shooed soon after. The memory had plagued him since.

**Flashback:**

_It was a windy day, and his parents were in their house, watching him from behind the window. He scrambled up the steps coated with ivy, and began to climb upon the wall. Neal turned from his perch and waved happily to his parents._

"_Neal, get down from there!" His father had shouted, and Neal's smile quickly vanished when he registered the anger and distress on his father's face. _

"_I mean it Nealan, get down here now!" It was his father's unnatural anxiety that made the top of the wall even more tantalizing. He could have listened to his father, and probably should have, but he was so close to the top, he'd never been this far before. He put his hand on the rock above him, to stretch up and sneak a peek at the other side. One good stretch would have done it. But before he time to reach out, his father seemed to have read his mind._

"_No!"_

"_Why? What's over there?" Neal sensed that his parents were keeping something from him._

"_Nothing's there son. It's just a forest. Nothing special." His father's words were pleading to Neal, desperately. "Come down please. For me."_

_Neal looked around, and was suddenly aware that the other villagers had stopped their daily activities to stare at him. The silence was broken by a high pitched scream, his father turned and ran, and Neal reluctantly began his descent down._

**:End flashback**

If only he was faster he might have been able to save them from the madman that killed them both, his mother first, and then his father when he came to the rescue. The killer had left Nealan alone, with only a memory of a tattoo of a dragon on his left arm imprinted into his memory. He had vowed to find the man responsible that day.

He was an only child, but he did have an older cousin-

"Dom!" shouted Neal, and ran down the remainder of he stairs, into the dusty village.

"Well hello there, t'top of the mornin' to you Nealan," Dom said, embracing his dear cousin while hiding the earpiece behind a lock of hair.

"_Improvise Callum..yes, how he's doing etc. Cue a chicken escaping out of the front left coop- now."_

"and the rest of t'day to yourself, Dom. How's life outside the walls then?"

"Nothing interesting really, just bits and pieces, youngings playing about is all. And inside?"

"It's dull, repetative and o so tedious. You know how it- hey, whats that?" Neal walked over to the middle of the road, where glass was scattered about.

"Dom, come over here and see this…it's shattered glass, but it looks like it had something in…"

"_Orange alert people, orange alert. This is NOT I repeat NOT a drill. It seems that a light from the sun has broken and he is putting pieces of the puzzle together. I need extras one to seven to make a bustle across his pathway, stop him from getting a closer look, Callum- try to slow him down, put the chicken is his path- do something people!"_

"What do you think it is?" Neal walked closer to the remnents of the lightbulb, but his view was obscured by a group of travelling players.

"Excuse me," he said, forcing his way through the performing crowd, "Coming through…"

They'd gone. But so had the glass.

"That's funny…I could have sworn there was something here just a minute ago."

Dom hurried up behind him, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, just like he was told to do.

"Don't worry, get some rest. You look like you had to rush to that meeting with Alanna this morning."

"Ye- wait, how did you know about that?"

"_Stupid mistake…"_

"Nothing stays a secret long around here Meathead- you know that as well as I do…"

"_Close call Callum. Don't let it happen again."_


End file.
